Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey Annual Voter Girl Event Drew Over 165 Girls To Learn How Their Voice and Vote Count

Event Presented by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey Educates Girls About the Importance of Civic Engagement and Advocacy

Kinnelon, N.J. – September 27, 2021 – Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey (GSNNJ), the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, hosted over 165 girls at its annual Voter Girl event on Sunday, September 26 at GSNNJ’s Lake Rickabear Camp in Kinnelon, N.J. The event was presented by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, who have helped build the curriculum and facilitated the day’s lessons, which taught Girl Scouts about civic engagement and advocacy as they worked to earn a Girl Scouts civics badge. 

Girl Scouts, including initiatives like Voter Girl, prepares girls to lead the change in their town, state, country and beyond. During Voter Girl 2021, girls met women elected officials from across North Jersey, learned about women’s suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment and participated in a real voting experience. Elected officials in attendance included:

 Ann Grossi, Morris County Clerk

Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara, Passaic County Commissioner

 Aura Dunn, Assemblywoman for Legislative District 25  

Cynthia Korman, Mountain Lakes Councilwoman

Gail Friedberg Rottenstrich, Deputy Mayor of Fair Lawn

Amalia Duarte, Mendham Township Committeewoman

“Girl Scouts encourages girls to participate in actions and activities for causes they are passionate about and create the change they want to see in the world,” said Betty Garger, President and CEO of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey. “Being encouraged to speak up and providing the tools for girls to support social issues they care about is a vital piece of the Girl Scout Mission and one of the ways we can prepare girls to be advocates is to teach them about civic engagement through programming like Voter Girl. On behalf of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, I’d like to thank our sponsors for making this event available to girls across North Jersey again in 2021.” 

According to Kathy Abbott, Voter Girl Coordinator, League of Women Voters of the Morristown Area,

“The purpose of Voter Girl is to empower Girl Scouts to engage in their communities as leaders in civic life, especially in voting, advocating for social justice, participating as future volunteers in their local governments, or even running for elected office.”

In addition to the support from the League of Women Voters of New Jersey, the event was also made possible through the support of Jewish Women’s Foundation of New Jersey.

About Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them.

Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey serves girls ages 5-18 in Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and northern Warren counties, bringing the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to over 24,000 girls and nearly 13,000 adult members. Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for every girl and her family.

To learn more about Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey or to volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.gsnnj.org and stay connected by following GSNNJ on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.